fluke

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈflük 

1

: a stroke of luck

the discovery was a fluke

Her second championship shows that the first one was no mere fluke.

2

: an accidentally successful stroke at billiards or pool

fluke

2 of 3

noun (2)

1

: flatfish

2

: a flattened digenetic trematode worm

broadly : trematode compare liver fluke

fluke

3 of 3

noun (3)

1

: the part of an anchor that fastens in the ground see anchor illustration

2

: one of the lobes of a whale's tail

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• break
• strike

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Starward, which is backed by Diageo’s accelerator program Distill Ventures, is the easiest whisky to find, but given the quality this is no fluke. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 7 May 2023

But the Terps were a step slow all game, and the win by Michigan was no fluke. —Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2023

But The Empire Strikes Back is the movie that proved that the first film's success was no fluke... and spawned the franchise that still dominates pop culture half a century later. —Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2023

There are skulls in a field, a man puking fire, groovy astronauts, disarming visages, a whale fluke, an umbrella in the rain, cool fonts, arresting colors, and two Victorian-era children standing with a tiger (for Neutral Milk Hotel). —Nina Maclaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Mar. 2023

This team is proving that last season's run to the Super Bowl was no fluke. —Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 5 Dec. 2022

What happened in 2022: Adolis García answered any lingering questions about whether his 2021 season was a fluke by showing tangible success in just about every area. —Dallas News, 30 Nov. 2022

Through a fluke of federal bureaucracy, his hiring practices were not subject to the same civil-service regulations as those of other agencies. —Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2022

And the stubborn player in you says that was a fluke. —Dave Clark, The Enquirer, 31 Aug. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Noun (2)

Middle English floke, fluke, from Old English flōc; akin to Old English flōh chip, Old High German flah smooth, Greek plax flat surface, and probably to Old English flōr floor — more at floor

Noun (3)

perhaps from fluke entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fluke

• blood fluke
• liver fluke

• blood fluke
• liver fluke

Kids Definition

fluke

1 of 3 noun

ˈflük 

: any of various trematode flatworms compare liver fluke

fluke

2 of 3 noun

1

: the part of an anchor that digs into the ground

2

: a barbed head (as of a harpoon)

3

: one of the lobes of a whale's tail

fluke

3 of 3 noun

: a stroke of good luck

won by a fluke

fluky

ˈflü-kē

adjective

Medical Definition

fluke

noun

ˈflük 

: a flattened digenetic trematode worm

broadly : trematode see liver fluke